What's Left of Loneliness
by Golden Snitch1981
Summary: Sequel to What Becomes of Loneliness. Tess' Seventennth Birthday passes, but all is not as expected. Harry Potter is dead and Regulus is sentenced to Azkaban, far from the Happy ending they anticipated with Tess' coming of age. Bella is all that is left.
1. Seventeen

Her seventeenth birthday was meant to mark the beginning of a wonderful life. They both had made a promise to Harry Potter that they would wait until Tess was old enough date Regulus freely without the threat of Azkaban looming over his head if they were ever caught. Tess had dreamed about this day since she and Regulus began their relationship, but what was to be her day of freedom was instead a day of misery. He should have been there celebrating the day with her, but he wasn't. He was long gone and she had to face the reality of a future without him. Regulus Riddle was not coming back for her. She watched sadly as her twin sister, Alice happily unwrapped the package that her long time boyfriend, James Potter had given her. Her face lit up, when she pulled a cloak out of a boxful of tissue paper and wrapped it around her shoulders, almost disappearing as she did. All that was visible was her head and a beaming grin.

"This was your father's wasn't it?" she asked, her grin suddenly turning serious. He nodded, wispily. "But why give it to me?"

"Well since you'll not long be a Potter, it will be as much yours as it was supposed to be mine and you're going need it in your line of work."

Tess was leaving the Burrow far behind after she graduated Hogwarts to become an actress in movies. James, who had followed his father's footsteps and became an Auror was transferring to the U.S. to be with his fiancée.

"James, you don't know how much this means to me, knowing where it came from and what happened to him." A wave of sadness washed over their faces. Tess scurried away, wanting to be alone. Harry Potter was the reason, Regulus wasn't going to be there to celebrate Tess' birthday. Her reggie struggled everyday with the voice of his father ringing in his ears. It wasn't the first time Regulus had attempted to kill Harry Potter on that stormy night in Knockturn Alley.

Tess remembered the time when she had watched Regulus lift his wand arm to perform the unforgivable curse. Harry had been too quick and disarmed him instantly, saving himself from death.

The second attempt at Harry's life had been the last fateful one. Harry Potter was now dead and Reggie was doomed to a lifetime in Azkaban for killing him. While the Potters, the Longbottoms and every other family, whose lives he'd touched mourned his death, Tess could feel nothing but anger. Harry had gone looking for Regulus, that night, so that he could destroy the final remaining Horcrux. He was going out to kill Regulus, but Regulus was quicker that night. He had seen him coming and knew from the expression on his face, what he was about to do. He apparated behind Harry in the smokey dark alley, wand out to strike. Felling his presence, Harry had turned around to face him and fumbled for his wand. There was no time. Regulus under the instruction of his father had performed the Avada Kedavra and the green light had shot from his wand into the man's chest. Regulus sunk to his knees, hot tears of anguish and regret flooding his eyes. That was how they found him, crouched beside the body of Harry Potter, howling his father's name and the name of the man he'd killed. "WHY!" he screamed his cries cutting into the night.

George Weasley and his muggle wife, had heard the cries and had gone to see what the commotion was about. George's young wife had crouched down beside Regulus to comfort the young man, but George hissed at her to get away from him. "He's a murderer Cilice. He killed Harry Potter. With his wand he dragged Regulus to his feet. "You will pay for this, Riddle. Mark my word, you will pay."

When the Aurors arrived, George had gladly handed Regulus over and knelt down next to beside Harry. "Don't worry, Mate. We'll make sure he pays for this."

Regulus had not put up a struggle. He was too much in shock. He was angry at himself, for letting his father win. Harry was a good man and Regulus knew it. He had never forgotten Harry's leniency when he had discovered Tess staying with him in his apartment. He could have turned him over to the ministry that night, but he hadn't. Harry Potter had a good heart, which he had shown to the young man. He knew that for Harry it was nothing personal when he had strode through Knockturn Alley and was about to round the corner into Diagon Alley and he was prepared to die, but his father had taken over and Regulus was powerless to stop it.

Being the son of vicious killers, Regulus received the trial he was expecting, a not entirely fair one, in which his father's name was tossed around the courtroom along with the phrase, "Tarred with the same brush". He had been sentenced to spend the rest of his days in Azkaban, never again to see the light of day, or his one true love; Tess.

That had all happened over a before her seventeenth birthday. She lit the fireplace in her room and curled up in a ball in the chair before it. All she wanted was the one thing she couldn't have and if she could have Regulus, she didn't want to celebrate her seventeenth birthday and watch her sister parade around in the invisibility cloak, reminding everyone of the events of the previous year.

Two year old Bella, chose that moment to run, giggling into the room. As she approached the chair by the fireplace, Tess scooped her daughter up in her arms. She buried her face into the only thing she had left of Regulus. "Don't cry, Mummy." The little girl's voice was angelic. This only made Tess cry harder until both mother and daughter were asleep in the chair.


	2. Grandparents

Bella Longbottom stared into the teary eyes of her mother. At nine years old, she was used to the tears and the cloak of sadness that enveloped her mother. She hated these moments and didn't understand why her mother was so unhappy all the time. Wasn't Bella enough? She knew of the terrible things that had happened to her father and that her mother had loved him very much, but didn't understand what would make her still so sad after all the time that had passed. She wanted to be as far away from her mother at that moment. She didn't have the strength to be the loving dutiful daughter she always was. She wanted for just one day to know what it was like to be a happy normal family like her Uncle James and Aunt Alice and their children.

Seven year old Harry James Potter the Second and his five year old sister, Ariana were in Bella's opinion the luckiest children ever born. They had it all; a mother and father who loved them and were happy all the time. Their grandparents, Ginny and Neville Longbottom and their other grandmother, Hermione doted on them like they their own children. Even though the Longbottoms raised Bella the first two years of her life, she still felt that it was the two Potter children, her grandparents loved more.

She often heard Ginny say that Harry looked like the grandfather he was named after. The look of love would radiate from her onto her little grandson, while Bella watched in the wings, wishing that just once her grandmother would look at her the same way. Instead there was always fear in her eyes whenever the looked at Bella and Bella could sense she was unwanted. Only her mother loved her, when she wasn't busy crying and moping through the house, just like she was doing at that moment.

She threw her arms around her mother once again and rocked her until the sobbing stopped. "Please don't cry, Mum," she whispered, just as she had always done. She kissed her mother's hair and took her hand with her own.

Tess squeezed her hand. "It's alright, Pet." Bella squeezed back. "I'll be okay, soon."

Bella picked up a picture from the spread, which lay before her mother on the floor. "Is this my Dad?" The man in the picture waved happily and blew a kiss. His black eyes twinkled with happiness.

"Yes, that's your father, Bella." Her voice was still shaky as she showed Bella another picture of the man and a very young Tess.

"Wow! You were so young, there!" Bella exclaimed, studying the picture of her mother and father.

"I was. Your father was my first ever love." ...and my last, she thought to herself, but she didn't say it. "Everyone said he was far too old for me, but I loved him. I was almost thirteen, when we took that picture."

"I was born not long after, wasn't I?" I asked.

"About a year passed before you were born. They had stopped me from seeing your father by then." Tess explained.

Bella knew the story of her mother and father, for Tess had told her many times, but there was one thing her mother had never told her. "Did he ever know about me?" I asked.

She nodded, sadly. "I owled him the day you were born. I sent pictures occasionally, but I never heard from him. Too scared of being caught, he was. I stayed away because I knew what would happen to him if they found out about us, but I guess none of that matters now...." Her voice trailed off. Bella knew what she meant. It was the reason her grandparents didn't look at Bella the same as Harry and Ariana. She heard her mother fight with them over it many times.

"One day will you take me to visit him?" Bella asked. She knew it was possible for people to visit their family in Azkaban and often wondered why her mother never did.

"One day, when you're a bit older, we'll go. Azkaban isn't a very nice place for little girls." She explained, but the panic in her voice was evident. It was true. Azkaban wasn't a nice place to take a little girl to visit her father, but that wasn't the whole reason Tess didn't commit to taking Bella to see Regulus. Tess, herself, wasn't ready to see Regulus. It was just too painful to contemplate. Not a day went by that she didn't think about Regulus and wish that things had turned out different. Every time she considered going to see him, her stomach would knot up. She wasn't ready to face how terrible Regulus looked in that place. In a small way she was scared that it hadn't been Voldemort's voice that had urged him to kill Harry. She didn't want to know if it was the true reason.

"Okay, Mum," Bella agreed, hoping that one day when she was old enough would quickly come. Changing the subject to hopefully cheer her mother up, she asked, "Mum can you teach my to fly, today?"

Bella knew Tess had been a terrific flyer in her school days and an even better quidditch player. She hoped that one day she would be just as great at quidditch as her mother and her grandmother had been.

Tess saw the glimmer of hope in her daughter's eyes and knew she needed to spend more time with Bella doing something they would both enjoy. "I will, but first, we must buy you a broom." She linked arms with her daughter and apparated into Quality Quidditch Supplies, the one stop quidditch shop where Tess knew she could buy Bella a broom. Brooms of all shapes and sizes lined the walls and Bella was drawn to the one made from the wood of a pine tree. The bristles were thing and wirey pine needles and the top of the broomstick, the letters glimmered gold. "THE NIMBUS ULTIMATE," she read aloud, beckoning her mother to take a look.

"I wish I could, Honey, but its way too expensive and you're only learning to fly." Bella's face fell. She would not be walking out of the store with the Nimbus Ultimate.

"Perhaps this one would be more in your price range," A white haired wizard's voice broke into the moment. His grey eyes bore into Tess' as he handed over a Cleensweep. "This broom is probably the most suitable for a young learner. Are you starting Hogwarts soon?"

Bella shook her head. "Not for another two years." Tess pained for the broomstick and they left. They apparated back to the Burrow, where they stood in the meadow, Bella Eagerly awaiting her first flying lesson. The broomstick lay in the grass beside her and Tess was giving her the command to use to pick it up.

"UP!" Bella repeated after her mother, holding her hand over the broom. It began to float upwards, but only as far as her ankles before it dropped to the ground.

"Again, Bella, but with a bit more force." Tess stood back and watched while her daughter shouted the command again.

"UP!" In an instant, the broomstick flew up to her hand and Bella caught it. Under her mother's instruction she mounted the broomstick and tilted the end upwards. In response, the broomstick lifted off with Bella on board. She hovered above the ground.

"Now lean forward," Tess instructed and Bella did as she was told. The broom shot forward and Bella squealed with delight.

"Mum, I'm flying!" Bella was giggling hysterically as she whipped around in the air.

Alice, Harry and Ariana ran out of the house to see what the commotion was. Ariana pointed upwards at her cousin. "Bella's flying!"

"I wanna fly too!" Harry shouted, crossing his little arms.

The next day, Harry was boasting about the new Nimbus Ultimate his grandmother had bought him. Bella slunk away crestfallen. Once again the Potter children were given what Bella craved. Bella knew it would always be the way.


	3. Family Dinner

"You'll never guess who I saw yesterday!" Tess exclaimed over the weekly family dinner.

These were always Weasley/Potter/Longbottom Affairs and it was usually the one time Tess got to see anyone other than Alice and James, her younger siblings and her parents. Hermione had only began going to these dinners after the death of her husband and it was somehow comforting to have the people who also remembered him surrounding her.

Molly and Lily, who were still going strong also made it part of their weekly routine to catch up with the family once a week, as did George and Cilice, Bill and Fleur, Charlie, Ron and Percy.

"Who did you see?" Molly asked, seeing that Tess was eyeing her and Lily as she said it.

"Blade Malfoy! He's working at that Quality Quidditch Supplies shop in Diagon Ally."

"Merlin, It _was_ him!" James exclaimed. "I thought I recognised him from somewhere."

Lily, however had a faraway expression on her face, her eyes misting over. "How was he?" she asked softly. Blade had been her one time flame at Hogwarts and he had been heartbroken when she broke it off with him to be with Molly. The last thing she heard was he had transferred to Durmstrang and was playing Quidditch professionally. He had disappeared so suddenly that Lily knew it was because he couldn't face her and Molly. Before they got together, Lily and Molly had been his too closest friends.

"He seemed okay," Tess answered. "Although, he didn't say much at all. I don't think he recognised us. He just handed me a broom, we paid for it and then left."

"Rumour has it," Ron said, " Blades career went down the gurgler in the last two years. I never would have believed it, but now you mention seeing him, it all makes sense now."

"I heard he hit the firewhiskey a little too heavy," Neville responded.

Lily glanced at her lap. Molly was the only one who noticed. "Don't blame yourself, Lil. His problems lay far deeper than you, although I'd probably go off the deep end, too if I lost you." She took Lily's hand in hers under the table and squeezed encouragingly.

Tess, knowing how it felt to lose someone she loved, found herself feeling sorry for Blade, while at the same time, rather intrigued by him. Guiltily, she pushed the thought away. He would never take the place of her Reggie. It wouldn't be right.

Suddenly there was a commotion at the children's end of the table. "I will hex you into the middle of the next millennium if you don't LEAVE ME ALONE!" Bella cried. Little did the adults know, Harry and Ariana were playing little tricks on her, using their toy wands to cast annoying spells on their cousin. They giggled at her outburst.

"Bella, that is no way to speak to your cousins," Ginny chastised.

Without a word, Bella stood up, slamming her cutlery on the table and storming out of the dining room.

"Mmm-hmm, that's the Riddle blood coming out in her," Ginny sighed.

Tess stood abruptly, angered by her mother's comment. "Out of line, Mother!" she hissed and followed her daughter to their adjoining rooms.

"Honestly, that girl is way too sensitive and she's turning that child rotten!" Ginny muttered. Trying to remain civil she added, "I apologise for their behaviour. "

"It's okay, Ginny," said Bill who glanced nervously at his wife. "We've been there too, remember. Victoire wasn't exactly an angel child, was she Fleur?" Fleur nodded. "Her teen years were the worst, especially when she started going out with Teddy Lupin."

"Speaking of those two," Neville piped up, hoping to change the subject, "How are they going?"

"Well Teddy's been appointed as Hogwarts newest transfiguration teacher." Bill answered his brother inlaw.

"Really?" Ginny exclaimed and Neville chalked it up as a small victory. "What happened to McGonagall? I thought she'd remain there until she died."

"She retired." They all strained to hear Fleur speak. Her thick accent made it hard to catch on to what she was saying, but they got it eventually.

"Right," Neville responded. "Well she did dedicate most of her life to that school. Good for her!" He sounded a little too cheerful, but no one noticed

"So what about Victoire?" Ginny asked.

"Vikki as she likes to be called these days is moving to Hogsmeade to be closer to him. She's opening up a boutique there, selling imported robes and things." Ginny's eyebrows rose as Victoire answered.

"Wow! I'll have to take a look sometime, what do you say, Alice?" she suggested. "When will it open?"

"I'm not sure. The details are sketchy at the moment, but I'll let you know." Fleur answered.

While the family dinner continued, Tess cradled Bella in her lap as she cried. "Their always so mean!" Bella sobbed. "And she always takes their side."

"She's just mad, Bella. She didn't realise what the kids were doing to you. I'm sure they will get in trouble if she finds out."

"No they wouldn't." Bella shook her head. "Grandmother likes them more than me."

What could Tess say? She had always suspected it was true, but she never wanted to believe her mother was so cruel. After all it was Ginny who raised Bella while Tess finished school. Then Tess took over the rearing of her child, but by then she had already noticed the aura of unhappiness surrounding her child. When Harry was born, it was like Bella didn't exist in her Grandmother's eyes.

"Why do we have to stay here?" Bella asked. The words tore Tess apart. Bella was truly unhappy in their home at the Burrow.

"It won't be longer. Soon you'll be at school, most of the year and you'll only be here in the summer and at Christmas." Tess tried desperately to cheer her daughter up with those words, but Bella didn't even crack a smile.

"But that's such a long time away! Why can't we just live on our own?" Tears filled Tess' eyes.

"Because, I can't afford to live elsewhere. Believe me. I hate living her with them all and I hate what it's doing to you, but you know what?" Tess asked, now trying to cheer herself up, too.

"What?" Bella asked.

"You'll be so strong, because you've lived through it, just as strong as your father." The sobbing stopped and Bella's eyes widened.

"Do you think so?" she asked.

Her mother nodded. "More than you'll ever know."


	4. First Banquet

Bella wished she could say the years flew by, but for some reason, because she was unhappy, living at the Burrow, time slowed down. Finally however, she was standing in the Great Hall, with the rest of the first years, waiting to be sorted. Professor Percy Weasley, the new head of Gryffindor, and most senior teacher on the campus, stood on the platform holding the old hat. The hole in the side of the hat began to move as it spoke. "_Many years ago,_" it boomed.

_As the tale has been told,_

_The boy who lived_

_Killed Voldemort he did._

_But alas! Riddle had an heir,_

_Not that anyone cared._

_In the boy's head_

_The voice of his father said._

_Kill Harry, kill him now!_

_So without warning Harry was struck down._

_The boy who lived, now lives no more,_

_While Riddle will rot forever-more!_

_Once again there will be a war._

_Between Slytherin and Gryffindor. _

_The years ahead will again be tough,_

_Though not for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff!_

Bella cringed as the hat recited its rhyme, knowing that it was telling the story (although not the full story) of the murder of Harry Potter and her father's part in it, she was thankful that she did carry his name at that moment, for she knew from her mother's stories, the outcast that Regulus Riddle was made, when his peers knew of his heritage. She was thankful her mother had tried to save her that same fate, not that it was meant to be.

When the hat was placed on her head, it began to shiver. "Aah! We have an heir of Slytherin!" The hat trembled as it spoke. "Dark blood runs through your veins, missy. There is only one place for you. SLYTHERIN!" it screamed. The hat practically jumped off the girl's head, as her Uncle Percy removed it, eager to get away. An extremely shocked Bella, shuffled towards the Slytherin table, her head hanging low as she found a seat. She began to wonder if there was a legitimate reason why her Grandparents hated her so much. Was she just like her father was said to be like, was she evil like Regulus and her Grandfather, Tom? All she ever wanted was to feel happy and loved, but her family excluded her. It had been the same for both her father and grandfather. Was that what had driven them to kill? She shivered at the thought and tears stung her eyes, but she was determined not to let them fall.

She didn't notice the pale white haired boy who sat down beside her until he spoke. "Cheer up! We can't all be Gryffindors," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Why would I want to be a Gryffindor? My family were all Gryffindors. They hate me," Bella challenged, haughtily. "It won't matter anyhow. I bet the whole school hates me after what the hat said.

"What, THAT old thing?" he gestured towards the platform, where the hat was sorting Felicity Wood into Gryffindor. The Mousey haired prat skipped over to the Gryffindor table and sat down like she was none other than Her Majesty the Queen, herself. I scowled as the all clapped and cheered for her. "Just because her father is on the Quidditch team that won the Premiership, doesn't make her the bloody Queen of England! We all know how the Falcons are a bunch of cheaters!" The boy scoffed. I'm Luc Malfoy." He held out his hand.

"Malfoy?" Bella repeated, almost as if she were starstruck by the boy.

"That's right, and you are?" he asked.

"Bella Longbottom."

"Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Bella," he said cordially. Neither of them had realised their hands were still joined. Both looked down, suddenly, and at the same time, pulled away, embarrassed.

Then the banquet began and the pair talked all the way through dinner. "I'm the heir of Slytherin, you know," Luc boasted.

"Really?" Bella exclaimed, knowing fully well who the Malfoys were. Tess had explained to Bella about the Malfoys, not long after the dinner, when Blade Malfoy's name was brought up. "Your father is Blade, isn't he?"

"Yep. Blade Malfoy, the disgraced Quidditch Player." He winced as he said it as if it was the most painful thing ever.

"He's played for the Vultures forever!" Bella exclaimed, suddenly realising it was the same Blade Malfoy that Uncle James and Uncle Ron idolised.

"Yeah, that's him!" Luc confirmed.

"I saw him, once,when I was nine. Does he still work in the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop?" she asked.

"Probably will til the day he dies," Luc replied.

The ate in silence for a few minutes, as Bella stared around the hall at all the other students who were eating and laughing, slapping each other on the backs and catching up on each others summer stories. The Gryffindors looked like they were having a particularly marvellous time and Felicity seemed to be lording over them all. They all lapped up every minute of her presence.

Suddenly, Bella felt a tap on her shoulder. "Hey can you pass me some bread?" a silky voice asked. Bella reached up the table and picked up the basket of bread and turned to hand it to the girl, who asked for it. She almost dropped the basket. The almond eyed girl, radiated beauty. Her long silky hair was draped over the back of the chair and almost touched the floor. Luc was also staring at the girl, who introduced herself as Diana Flint, then gestured to a boy with identical almond shaped eyes, who snatched the plate of bread before Diana could reach for a roll. "This is my annoying twin brother, Marc." His lips curled into a cocky smile and he winked at Bella from across the table.

"Actually it's Marcus, after my grandfather, but I like to be called Marc." His voice was almost as smooth as his sister's, yet only slightly deeper. "Bella was as charmed almost immediately by Marc as Luc was by Diana. Then, as if they'd never spoken, the Flint children returned to their meal, eating silently without conversation.

"I'll explain, later," Luc whispered, eyeing the pair, as Bella raised her eyebrow in confusion.


	5. Charms, Pranks and Ogres

Bella did not try out for the Slytherin Quidditch Team right away. Even though she loved Quidditch, she didn't want to fall into the trap of doing the things that the Longbottoms, the Weasleys and the Potters approved of. By the time she was eleven, she was over trying to please her family, opting to turn away from the things that would Make Neville and Ginny Longbottom proud.

She did, however, go down to the pitch to support her three friends, who were all trying out. She sat in the bleaches and giggled as Luc tried to kick his broom off the ground. It wouldn't budge because of the immobility charm, the Flint twins placed on it as a joke. "Luc! Try this one, " Bella cried out as she ran across the pitch to hand him her broom.

"A Cleansweep?" Luc inspected the broom, with distaste.

"Well it's no Nimbus Ultimate, but it flies at least, which is more than you can say for yours at the moment," Bella retorted.

Luc mounted the broom and lifted off in pursuit of the snitch that was soaring thousands of feet above him in the air. A seventh year came to Bella aid and almost immediately was able to reverse the charm, restoring the broom to normal. Luc, hoever, was soaring and gliding better than Bella had ever seen anyone do on anybroom, much less a Cleensweep It was no surprise that he caught the snitch, to the disgust of Marc Flint who missed it by mere inches.

When they landed on the ground the same seventh year boy called everyone to huddle. "Right I want you three," he pointed at Luc, Marc and Diana, "to swap places with the chasers." Diana had originally been tried as a Beater. Up for the challenge, Luc followed the Flints onto the pitch and they each took their positions, waiting for the rest of the two teams to get into place. The seventh year blew the whistle and the snitch was tossed into the air. This time, however, Luc and the Flints were focused on the quaffles. Between the three of them, they score close to fifty goals, smashing the other team. Pleased with their efforts, the seventh year decided to award the three of them positions on the team as Chasers.

"Sorry about the broom, Mate," Marc said. "You flew well on that little Cleensweep, though."

"That's okay, mate. If I'd thought of it I'd have charmed your brooms, too, but hey it worked out didn't it?" Luc replied, slapping Marc on the back. "How did you know about such a charm, anyway? Its not like they teach us anything like that in class."

"I found it in a fifth year charms textbook that was in the school library. It sure worked didn't it?" Diana answered. "Maybe we'll teach it to you sometime," she winked at her brother, "Or maybe we won't." Bella followed along behind the three of them, suddenly feeling like the odd one out.

"So why didn't you try out, again?" Diana asked, dropping back to walk with Bella.

"It's not really my thing," she lied.

"Oh," Bella pressed. "That's why you spent such a lovely afternoon, watching a bunch of kids shoot a quaffle through three hoops, huh? Be cause there was nothing else you could possibly want to do with your time!" She punch Bella playfully on the arm.

"Well, I thought I'd support you guys," Bella replied. "And it's just as well I did. Poor Luc, here might not have got to try out thanks to your little prank!"

"Hey, it was a bit of harmless fun, to even up the playing field, so to speak." It was Marc, who faced the two of them, smiling and was uttering those words. "Right, Luc?"

"I guess," Luc agreed, "Lucky Bella was there, though. That thing flies pretty good for a Cleensweep."

Suddenly remembering, Bella swapped the Nimbus Ultimate over with Luc who returned her ratty old Cleensweep.

"Hey there's the Ogre, Grawp! Let's go annoy him!" Diana suggested, pointing at the little hut on the edge of the forbidden forest, where Grawp, the brother of Bubeus Hagrid was tending to the Blast-Ended Skrewts. Grawp was as thick as he was huge, making him an easy target for bored Slytherins to harass. That day was no exception.

Bella, Luc, Diana and Marc, who took the lead, snuck into the run-down hut, closing and locking the door behind them. Then climbing out the window they called out to the giant. "Hey Grawp!" He turned quickly, forgetting his dimensions and tripped, putting his foot through the entire pen, where the Blast-Ended Skrewts were clambering to get out. He recovered and stared in the direction of the the hut, where Diana was holding the keys. "I guess you're locked out, huh?" Then they watched his face fall as Diana tossed the keys into the tiny window, where Grawp had no hope of going to retrieve them. Grawp roared in frustration and the four children scampered off as quick as they could, with Grawp, hot on their heals. Grawps size did have its advantages, one of which was being able to out run the children.

"He's gaining on us!" Bella cried.

Marc waved his wand over his shoulder. "STUPIFY!" he cried and instantly Grawp was poised, midstep, unable to move. The children kept running, giggling in hysterics. When they were far enough away, Marc reversed the spell and Grawp tumbled to the ground, startled. They didn't stop running until they were inside the castle. It was the one place, Grawp could not go.

In their common room, they collapsed in fits of laughter.

"He's such a dopey git!" Diana exclaimed.

"I know," Bella agreed. "I can't believe he fell over!"

"And what about those Blast-Ended Skrewts? He sure did a number on them!" Marc was laughing the hardest.

"It was pretty bad," Luc said, meekly, "but _soo_ funny!"

Fifty points apiece were taken off the four of them for torturing poor Grawp. The worst thing, though, was that Felicity Wood was awarded one hundred points for helping Grawp get back into his house and a further fifty points for repairing the pen.

As punishment for their mischief, Bella, Luc and the Flints were ordered to round up all the Blast-Ended Skrewts to home them.


	6. Secrets, Cups and Crushes

Luc Malfoy was fast becoming Bella's closest friend, yet what she wouldn't admit to herself or anybody was that she was growing attracted to him in a way that she didn't understand. Just being around him made her feel good about herself, unlike what she'd ever felt before. Her heart swelled and her body tingled, whenever he was inches away and she often fought back the urge to smooth out his hair, fix his shirt around the collar or just touch his hand.

She didn't know how she was going to get past it. All she knew was that she had better get past it soon before he begins to notice her weirdness and change his mind about being friends with Bella. Bella, however, wasn't the only one, noticing Luc differently. Diana was also acting funny around him and Bella knew that if Luc noticed Diana, there was no chance for Bella. Diana was beautiful, with perfect skin and perfect eyes to match that perfect, flowing hair. For children, who were said to have descended from trolls, they sure did not show troll like features.

However, the Flint twins hid themselves away after dinner in a dorm room that they shared, away from the rest of the children. It seemed there was a secret that Diana and Marc didn't want the rest of the school to find out, not even their best friends, Bella and Luc. "Why do you shut yourselves away?" Bella asked one afternoon, before dinner. She and Diana were painting their nails in the Slytherin Common room, one afternoon, late in the winter.

Bella saw a wave of panic wash over her friend and instantly felt guilty. What ever the reason, Bella knew it was a painful secret for Diana. "It's something our parents arranged for us. They want us to really excel at our school work," Diana lied.

"So your parents lock you away, so you can study? To get good grades?" Bella exclaimed, horrified. Diana nodded, swallowing hard. "What else do they want? You're already the top of all your classes. Why I bet you're already in the running to get straight _O_'s." Diana simply shrugged, hoping Bella would just forget all about it. Thankfully, the students were being called to dinner.

Diana rushed out, saying that there was something she had to do, quickly before dinner. Bella didn't give it a second thought. If she had, she would have found Diana crying in the dorm she shared with Marc. Luckily, Marc wasn't there. Marc was very protective of her and Diana knew he hated to see his sister cry.

Marc was tossing a quaffle with Luc, until dinner. He was the first to notice that Diana hadn't come to dinner. Bella was sitting alone. "Where's Diana?" he asked, studying the girl who was deep in thought about something.

"I don't know? I presume, she'll be along soon." She answered. Her eyes revealed a sort of compassion for Diana, making Marc wonder if Bella knew their secret. "She said she had to do something, first."

Thinking this odd, Marc asked, "How was she, when you last saw her?"

"Okay, I guess. She told me why you shut yourselves away at night." Marc's jaw dropped and the panic took over him. Diana hadn't told, had she? "I can't believe you're parents! Like being top of all our classes isn't enough, they think you have to be locked away, to _study_?"

Marc was relieved. He couldn't believe he had thought Diana would blab their secret. "Uh... Yeah. It sucks," he agreed. He took a seat on the end of the table, leaving the seat in between for Luc. He was beginning to worry about his sister, but there was nothing he could do, until after dinner.

Luc sat in the chair beside Bella. "I'm starving!" he groaned. "Why can't we just eat now?"

"Because they always have to do the announcements, first. If we're hungry, we won't disrupt the announcements, because we don't want to delay the eating," Bella said, rolling her eyes. "The old Professors are smart, that way."

"Well I wish they would get on with it so we can eat." Luc was eyeing the mountains of food, spread out on the table.

As if on cue, there was a hush as the Professor Weasley addressed the students. There was the usual lecture about school rules and then the reminder that the students were nearing the final exam end of the year and that "Now" was the time to knuckle down and really put their all into their classes. After that fifty points were awarded to (guess who?) Felicity Wood for yet another service to the school, putting Gryffindor in first place. It looked as though Gryffindor was set to win the House Cup.

"Well, Goody-two-shoes Wood is at it again." Luc echoed Bella's thoughts.

"She really needs to ease up!" Marc whispered. "She's making the rest of us look bad."

"I guess you'll just have to kick their butts at Quiddtch next week," Bella suggested. The others' expressions were as if Bella had asked them to single handedly achieve world peace. "All you have to do is take out their star seeker," she continued, smiling sweetly.

"And how do you expect us to do that?" Luc asked. "You know Wood can outfly us."

"Hello!" Bella hissed. "Quidditch try-outs? Broom? Charm? Don't you remember?"

"We couldn't." Luc was shocked at what Bella was suggesting.

"Sure we could," Marc agreed. "Good one, Bella."

All that week and the following week, Marc worked on teaching Bella the charm that had immobilised Luc's broom on the day of the try-outs. By the weekend of the game, Bella could perform it flawlessly. She his under the bleachers and the two teams, one in red and gold, the other in green and silver lined up on the pitch, each as though they were prepared for battle. There was more than a game at stake. It was about house pride and the Slytherins were not going to give the House Cup up with out a fight.

Just as the snitch was released, Bella was waving her wand, mouthing the charm and Felicity Wood was grounded. Panic was all over her face and she looked like she was about to cry. The Slytherin Seeker, a second year was already chasing after the snitch, while Marc, Diana and Luc worked to score as many goals as they could to stay well in front of the Gryffindors on the score-board.

The Gryffindors, however, were distracted by the commotion on the ground. Teachers gathered around Felicity frantically reversing the charm, but each time they had, Bella was already casting another, keeping Felicity from moving.

The Slytherins played on mercilously and the three chasers scored four-hundred-and-fisty points between them and now it was time for the seeker, Jarrod White, to really step up his game and catch the snitch. He shot off on his Nimbus Ultimate and within minutes of really trying, he had the snitch firmly in his grasp. The game was over and the Slytherins had won. They were so far in front, it would be almost impossible for the Gryffindors to catch up to them. The Slytherins, once again, were in the running for the House Cup.

"Well done!" Bella exclaimed slapping her three friends on the back, when they were safely away from the rest of the crowd.

"Well done to you, too." Luc replied, draping his arm around Bella's shoulders. "We couldn't have done it with out you." Bella was blushing uncontrollably, trying to deal with Luc being so close.

"It was nothing," she replied, bashfully. Then before she could stop herself, her arm was draped around his waist as they walked back to their Common room.


End file.
